China elevated a key confidante of President Xi Jinping to one of the top positions in government on Monday as Beijing cracks down on riskier financing and a debt build-up that may pose systemic risks to the world's second-largest economy.

Worries about the potential for a U.S.-China trade war and frustration over U.S. President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs threatened to dominate a gathering of finance leaders this week amid strengthening growth.

China stocks ended higher on
Monday, with gains led by healthcare firms, after Beijing formed
a new economic team.
** At the close, the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.3
percent at 3,279.25, while the blue-chip CSI300 index gained 0.4
percent to 4,074.25.
** The smaller Shenzhen index ended up 0.27 percent and
the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was
higher by 1.19 percent.
** Property firms led the decline, with a property sub-index
losing 2.5 percent afte

China on Monday chose Lu Hao, a young politician who's risen swiftly through the Communist Party ranks over the past 15 years, to run a new Ministry of Natural Resources, as the government undergoes its biggest overhaul in years.

China on Monday chose Lu Hao,
a young politician who's risen swiftly through the Communist
Party ranks over the past 15 years, to run a new Ministry of
Natural Resources, as the government undergoes its biggest
overhaul in years.

China and Hong Kong stocks
rose on Monday morning after Beijing elected a key economic
team, and as investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve rate
decision later this week.
** At 04:02 GMT, the Shanghai Composite index was up
0.17 percent at 3,275.37, while the blue-chip CSI300 index
was up 0.29 percent at 4,068.24.
** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong rose 0.08
percent at 12,683.5, while the Hang Seng Index was up
0.19 percent at 31,562.14.
** Liu He, a key ec

China will step up property market regulation and fight off illegal conduct by property firms and intermediaries, housing minister Wang Menghui said on Monday on the sidelines of the annual parliament meeting.

China will step up property
market regulation and fight off illegal conduct by property
firms and intermediaries, housing minister Wang Menghui said on
Monday on the sidelines of the annual parliament meeting.

WASHINGTON U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' testimony that he opposed a proposal for President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team to meet with Russians has been contradicted by three people who told Reuters they have spoken about the matter to investigators with Special Counsel Robert Mueller or congressional committees. | Video

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